UNITEDRANT

Daddy does deal as Welbeck joins Preston

Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck joins Preston North End for the remainder of the season, after Ferguson senior and junior concluded a loan deal for the 19-year-old striker. Welbeck, who has scored five goals in 24 appearances for United, will go straight into Darren Ferguson’s Preston squad for the trip to Peterborough United on Wednesday.

Welbeck began the season as an outside bet for a place in England’s World Cup squad, with Sir Alex Ferguson predicting bright things for the Longsight-born player. But the arrival of Senegalese striker Mame Biram Diouf has pushed the teenager further down the pecking order at Old Trafford and into the arm of Sir Alex’ son Darren, the newly appointed Preston manager.

The striker trends a well-worn path to Preston – David Beckham spent part of the 1994-5 season at Deepdale, before returning to Old Trafford to win the double the following season.

But it’s not the first intra-family deal struck since junior took over the reigns at Preston – Darren revealed last week that his side had trained at United’s Carrington complex during the recent inclement weather.